


Sunday

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25781440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Their fight begins on a Sunday.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Kudos: 30





	Sunday

**Author's Note:**

> Based off another fic I read like 2 years ago. I don't remember a lot of it, but hopefully I didn't like.... accidentally plagiarize the whole story. (If by any chance you know the fic, could you let me know so I can credit it?)

**Sunday**

Their fight begins on a Sunday. Dean can’t remember exactly how the fight started, but the stress and tension built up over many weeks has finally taken its toll. It’s their first big fight where they yell and scream and say things they both don’t mean. Dean doesn’t know what to do.

Cas glares as Dean walks out, and the slamming of the door behind him feels like he got the last word. It leaves a sick sort of satisfaction in his throat that he tries to swallow down. He goes to Sam’s place and asks to stay the night.

Sam doesn’t ask, but Dean hates the look in his eyes as he opens his first bottle. He consumes enough alcohol that, even on his brother’s uncomfortable pull-out sofa, sleep comes easily. The empty space beside him doesn’t even bother him.

**Monday**

He feels the effect of all the drinks from last night, but he can’t really bring himself to regret it. His reflection glares back at him as he stands in front of the mirror. He knows exactly why Cas doesn’t like this version of him—he hates it too. He splashes some cold water on his face and gets ready for work. It’s just like usual, he tells himself. Except it’s not, and he fucking knows it.

He stumbles into work just barely on time and his eyes immediately land on Cas’s desk. There’s his trenchcoat thrown haphazardly over his chair and keys left carelessly beside the computer. Dean doesn’t want to see him, but he has no choice. They work together and they knew the risks when they started dating.

The first thing he needs is a good dose of caffeine. He drops off his things at his desk and heads toward the breakroom. He bumps into someone in the doorway and of course it would be Cas, one hand closed around his own mug of coffee and the other instinctively shooting out for Dean’s arm to steady him. Dean keeps his head down because he knows looking into those baby blues won’t do him any good.

“Sorry,” he mumbles and steps to the side to get to his coffee. He doesn’t even have to make any, because there’s a steaming mug already there, perfectly made, just how he likes it. He doesn’t know where their relationship stands, but it’s still the best coffee he’s had in a while. It’s the only thing that gets him through the day.

**Tuesday**

Sam’s worried. He tells Dean to talk to Cas, but it’s easy for him to say that when he’s not the one who has to do it. It’s painful even being in the same room with Cas, especially since he’s doing everything he can to avoid talking to Dean. Which is fine, because Dean doesn’t want to talk to him anyway.

If any of their coworkers notice the tension between Dean and Cas, they don’t mention it. They just steer clear of Dean, seeming to sense his bad mood from a mile away. He’s grateful for that since he’s not sure he can handle any questions or sympathetic comments. Their boss, Crowley, is clearly unhappy with the situation, but he doesn’t make them work together. It makes it slightly more bearable.

Dean contemplates going to a bar after work because he doesn’t want to go back to his brother’s place. He opts to stay late instead, letting the boring paperwork keep his mind off things. He stays until the words start to blur, and his eyes start closing. He stays even though he’s finished all his work and has nothing more to do. He doesn’t want to go back to an apartment that’s not his, to a bed that’s too cold, too empty.

**Wednesday**

It’s sort of become a thing they do on Wednesdays because Cas likes traditions. Dean will leave earlier in the mornings to buy a single cinnamon bagel from the bakery down the street and they’ll split it when they get to work. He doesn’t know if the tradition holds if they’re not talking, but he buys one anyway and splits it into two. He eats his half slowly, debating whether or not he should eat Cas’s half too.

He looks across the room at Cas’s empty desk, knowing he’ll be arriving soon. He eventually folds up the small paper bag containing the bagel and places it on Cas’s desk. If nothing else, he thinks, it can serve as a small reminder that Dean’s still here.

The smile he gets when Cas opens the bag is worth it, even if his silence feels like a gaping wound through his body.

**Thursday**

Cas stays late on Thursdays, which means he won’t be home. Since Dean had left in a fit of rage on Sunday, he’d forgotten to take the essentials. He’s pretty sure Sam’s not very happy about lending him clothes and shampoo when he has perfectly good ones of his own. So he decides to quit his sulking (as Sam calls it) for half an hour to get his things.

The apartment is dead quiet when he opens the door. It’s strange, walking into his own home and feeling unwelcome.

Dean quickly moves to the bedroom. The only noticeable difference is the tidy bed, which means Cas hasn’t been sleeping in it. Everything else looks normal enough though, and Dean starts packing some of his clothes in a duffel bag. He doesn’t really know how long this is going to go on for, but he figures it’s best to pack extra. He’s done in a few minutes, and he throws the bag over his shoulder as he turns to leave. A photograph on the nightstand catches his eye and he stops in his tracks.

It’s a photo from a few months back when they were happy and in love and it felt like nothing could ever stand in their way. It hurts, looking at their twin smiles and knowing that it could be over very soon. He wants to selfishly take the picture with him too because he misses Cas, but he won’t do that to him. The photo belongs here, in their bedroom.

“Dean?” Cas’s voice comes from the doorway, tired, and devoid of any emotion.

He didn’t even hear Cas come home. He’d hoped to be in and out before he came back, but it seems Cas is early. Dean looks up and he sees pain written all over Cas’s face, whose gaze lingers on the carpet. Cas can’t even look at him and fuck if that doesn’t sting. He wishes he hadn’t come.

“I was just leaving,” Dean says quietly, carefully.

“Dean…”

 _I’m sorry_ , he wants to say. _I’m sorry for leaving. I’m sorry that we’re not talking. I’m sorry that you can’t look at me. I’m sorry for all of this._ “I need some time,” he says instead, and it feels too much like a goodbye. Cas just nods, stepping aside to let Dean past.

Dean pauses in front of Cas, cradling his face lightly in one hand and pulling them together in a not-quite-hug. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs. _I’m sorry that I’m leaving again._ It’s not the apology he wants to make, but he pulls away and makes for the door before he can make things worse.

“Come back, okay?” Cas says from behind him.

Dean turns and forces a little smile. “I will.”

And he walks out on Cas for a second time, feeling like his heart is tearing into two.

**Friday**

He looks like he hasn’t slept in a week, and to be fair, it feels like it too. Cas isn’t doing much better either, judging from the dark shadows under his eyes and the number of times he gets up to refill his coffee. Dean follows him into the breakroom after the seventh time, pretending he also needs a refill.

“You’re going to have a heart attack, you know.”

Cas lifts his gaze briefly. “Can’t sleep,” he mutters, tapping his foot impatiently.

“Me neither,” Dean lets himself admit, and Cas’s eyes meet his for the first time in almost a week.

Cas opens his mouth, but the moment is lost when the coffee is done. He fills his mug, taking a generous sip, then he’s gone, trenchcoat swishing behind him like some sort of cape.

Dean tips out his coffee in the sink and watches it swirl down the drain.

**Saturday**

He drinks. He drinks because it’s the weekend and screw everything. He wants Cas here, but he knows they have issues to work through first and he can’t do that right now. He hurts too much. And when he hurts, he gets angry. And when he gets angry, he says things he doesn’t mean. He tells himself he had to walk away because he didn’t want to hurt Cas more than he already did. But maybe, he thinks as he drains another bottle, maybe leaving did more damage in the end.

He keeps checking his phone like somehow there’ll be a message from Cas, and everything will suddenly be okay again. But life doesn’t work that way and instead, Dean gets dangerously close to drunk texting him too many times.

Sam comes home and has to pull him away from the alcohol. Dean hates that Sam’s seeing him like this, hates that he’s turned into his father right now. The words are spilling from his lips and he can’t stop them anymore. Six days’ worth of pain and hurt and anger and guilt are making their way up to the surface and it feels freeing. Sam just sits there and listens. Maybe it’s just the alcohol, but he’s never been more thankful to have his little brother.

He falls into an uneasy sleep to hazy memories of blue eyes and warm arms wrapped around him.

**Sunday**

Dean goes home. He’s had enough time to cool off and think about everything by now. He opens the door cautiously, almost expecting the place to be empty. But Cas is there, asleep on the couch in one of Dean’s old band T-shirts, the television still playing Animal Planet. It’s such a familiar scene that it sends an ache of longing straight to Dean’s heart.

He sets his duffel down in the bedroom, then comes back out to drape a blanket over Cas’s sleeping form. The guy always forgets about blankets and always wakes up cold. He switches the TV off and the room is shrouded in darkness. Cas wakes, sitting up and looking around, confused.

“It’s just me, sorry,” Dean says, and he sees Cas visibly relax. Dean flicks the light on so they’re not in the dark. They both know a difficult conversation is coming.

Dean sinks down onto the couch beside Cas, far enough so that they’re not touching, but close enough to still be comfortable. He takes a deep breath.

“Are we over?” Cas asks softly before he can say anything.

Dean hesitates. “I don’t want us to break up.”

“Me neither,” says Cas, and Dean practically sags in relief. That, at the very least, means they have a shot at working this out. There’s a silence, filled with too many things unspoken.

“I’m sorry.”

“I miss you.”

They speak at the same time and Dean sees the slightest hint of that smile he fell in love with.

“I’m sorry,” Dean says again, “And I miss you too.”

Cas sighs. “You left.”

“I know. I shouldn’t have.” And Dean knows. He knows because he spent a week straight being miserable and longing for Cas. Because he’s spent a week regretting it, but still unable to go back and face Cas.

“I didn’t know if you were coming back.”

Dean can’t think of anything to say to that. He may have walked out the door, but he always had every intention of coming back. Moving out permanently had never even crossed his mind. But he can’t bring himself to say that. It just sounds like a lame excuse and Cas deserves better than that. He manages another apology.

Cas is silent for a long time. Eventually, he stands. “We’ll work it out.”

He tugs Dean up, pulling him into the bedroom and pushing him backward onto the bed. Dean’s about to protest because he’s too tired for this right now, but Cas lays down beside him and it’s clear that he just wants to sleep too. Dean shifts closer to Cas as Cas’s arms come to wrap around his waist.

They’ll wake up later and talk. They’ll work things out like promised, and they’ll probably have hot makeup sex and it’ll all be fine again. Their relationship isn’t perfect, and he knows they have issues to talk through, but Dean doesn’t need anything else. Because this, right now, in Cas’s arms, he’s happy, and it’s everything he needs.


End file.
